The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has given authority to drone consulting firm Drone Major to conduct the U.K.’s first beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights over the U.K.’s critical national infrastructure, initially some stretches of railway. 

Drone Major said in a statement June 13 that this is the first time long-distance approved BVLOS drones have been given the green light to fly over the critical infrastructure. 

The drones will initially patrol over the U.K.’s rail networks, and there’s the potential to monitor other areas related to energy, utilities, defense, border management, and sensitive national infrastructure surveillance. Trials will now begin on a 7.5 mile stretch of rail between Wolverhampton and Sandwell & Dudley Station in partnership with Network Rail.

The company says the trials have the potential to significantly speed up the verification and interception of trespassers, thereby reducing delays to trains in a critical and very busy area, potentially also saving lives, as well as vastly improving the speed and efficiency of the U.K. railway service, while also delivering many millions a year in savings.